National Guard in Washington, D.C. to Be Armed Under Crime Suppression

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the National Guard to patrol the streets of Washington, D.C., as the Trump administration’s crackdown on the capital continues.

Trump ordered troops to travel to Washington in early August and controlled his police force to fight what he called “out of control”.

Just last week, the Pentagon and the U.S. Army said that the troops involved in the deployment (about 2,000 people now) would not carry weapons.

Although the Trump administration praised the task, polls show that many residents of Washington, with many Democratic parties, are deeply unpopular.

The Pentagon said in a statement that the National Guard units “will soon perform missions through weapons issued by their services, consistent with their mission and training.”

It is unclear whether the armed forces’ decision means their mission in Washington is changing.

So far, no enforcement actions – conducted by local police and officials from various federal agencies – have been posted near local landmarks including the capital’s main passenger rail transport centers, including the National Shopping Centre and Union Station.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has not commented on the decision so far.

Speaking at the Oval Office of the White House on Friday, Trump said the task had brought “complete security” to Washington – and that the task could be extended to Chicago, another Democratic-run city whose leadership sometimes conflicts with the Trump administration.

“DC is a hell,” he said, “But it’s safe now.”

Despite the success of the announcement of the mission, Trump said he is considering an announcement of a national emergency once the 30-day deadline for deployment expires.

“If I think we’re in good condition here, that’s one thing. But if I don’t, I just say it’s a national emergency,” he said. “If I have a national emergency, I can keep the troops here as long as I want.”

Several Republican-led states, including South Carolina and West Virginia, also contributed to the repression.

In addition, Trump said he would ask Congress for $20 billion (£1.48 billion) to beautify the city. Earlier this year, the Republican-controlled Congress passed legislation that cut Washington’s budget by $1.1 billion.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in an article on X that the operation has won more than 700 arrests so far, including 40 people, and seized 91 illegal guns.

Local officials questioned the need for federal intervention in the city, and Mayor Bowser noted that her claim of “a huge reduction in crime” is in a state of “lower violent crime for 30 years.”

A poll released earlier this week by The Washington Post and Schal School found that deployments between the city’s residents were unpopular, with nearly 80% saying they opposed the deployment of federal officials and the National Guard, as well as the acquisition of the Metropolitan Police Department.